Search

The objective assessment of technical skills of junior residents is essential in implementing competency-based training and providing specific feedback regarding areas for improvement. An innovative assessment that can be easily implemented by training programs nationwide has been developed by expert surgeon educators under the aegis of the American College of Surgeons (ACS) Division of Education. This assessment, ACS Objective Assessment of Skills in Surgery (ACS OASIS) uses eight stations to address technical skills important for junior residents within the domains of laparoscopic appendectomy, excision of lipoma, central line placement, laparoscopic cholecystectomy, trocar placement, exploratory laparotomy, repair of enterotomy, and tube thoracostomy. The purpose of this study was to implement ACS OASIS at a number of sites to study its psychometric rigor.The ACS OASIS was pre-piloted at two programs to establish feasibility and to gather information regarding implementation. Each skills station was 12 minutes long, and the faculty completed a checklist with 5 to 15 items, and a global assessment scale. The study was then repeated at three pilot sites and included 29 junior residents who were assessed by a total of 44 faculty. Psychometric data for the stations and checklists were collected and analyzed.The pre-pilot sites were Geisinger and University of Tennessee Knoxville.Data were gathered from pilot sites that included Wellspan Health, Duke University, and University of California Los Angeles.The mean checklist score for all learners was 76% (IQR of 66%-85%). The average global rating was 3.36 on a 5-point scale with a standard deviation of 0.56. The overall cut score derived using the borderline group method was at 68% with 34% of performances requiring remediation. Using this criterion, the average number of stations that were completed by each learner without need for remediation was five.The station discrimination index ranged from 0.27 to 0.65 (all above the threshold of 0.25), demonstrating solid psychometric characteristics at the station level. The internal-consistency reliability was 0.76 with SEM of 5.8%. The inter-rater reliability (intraclass correlation) was high at 0.73 with general agreement of 79% between the two raters. The station discrimination was at 0.45 (range of 0.27 to 0.65) indicating a high level of differentiation between high and low performers. Using the generalizability theory, the G-coefficient reliability was at 0.72 with the reliability projection flattening after 8 stations. Overall, 75% to 82% the faculty and learners rated ACS OASIS as realistic and beneficial.ACS OASIS is a psychometrically sound technical skills assessment tool that can provide useful information for feedback to junior residents and support efforts to remediate gaps in performance.

We sought to characterize if prehospital transfer origin from the scene of injury (SCENE) or from a referral emergency department (REF) alters the survival benefit attributable to prehospital plasma resuscitation in patients at risk of hemorrhagic shock.We performed a secondary analysis of data from a recently completed prehospital plasma clinical trial. All of the enrolled patients from either the SCENE or REF groups were included. The demographics, injury characteristics, shock severity and resuscitation needs were compared. The primary outcome was a 30-day mortality. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox-hazard regression were used to characterize the independent survival benefits of prehospital plasma for transport origin groups.Of the 501 enrolled patients, the REF group patients (n = 111) accounted for 22% with the remaining (n = 390) originating from the scene. The SCENE group patients had higher injury severity and were more likely intubated prehospital. The REF group patients had longer prehospital times and received greater prehospital crystalloid and blood products. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed a significant 30-day survival benefit associated with prehospital plasma in the SCENE group (P.01) with no difference found in the REF group patients (P = .36). The Cox-regression verified after controlling for relevant confounders that prehospital plasma was independently associated with a 30-day survival in the SCENE group patients (hazard ratio 0.59; 95% confidence interval 0.39-0.89; P = .01) with no significant relationship found in the REF group patients (hazard ratio 1.03, 95% confidence interval 0.4-3.0).Important differences across the SCENE and REF cohorts exist that are essential to understand when planning prehospital studies. Prehospital plasma is associated with a survival benefit primarily in SCENE group patients. The results are exploratory but suggest transfer origin may be an important determinant of prehospital plasma benefit.

Background Rib fracture (RF) pain management provides analgesia while reducing opioids. We postulated: (1) Prescriber factors affect opiate duration, and (2) lidocaine infusion curtails dependency. Materials and Methods Retrospective study of RF patients undergoing multimodal analgesia at ACS-verified Level 1 Trauma Center April 2018-February 2020. Exclusions: ageResults 153 patients included – 113 (74%) stopped opiates by 30 days post-discharge (NORx30), 40 (26%) continued beyond 30 days (Rx+). No significant differences in age, gender, ISS, number of RF, bilaterality, flail chest, and discharge disposition. Significant differences included hospital LOS (7.62 NORx30 vs. 10.22 Rx+, p = .02), number of prescribers (1.73 NORx30 vs. 2.98 Rx+, p < .01), average MME/day during initial 30 days post-discharge (36.7 ± 17 NORx30 vs. 45.4 ± 30.2 Rx+, p = .03), and number of pills (49 ± 38 NORx30 vs. 120 ± 85 Rx+, p < .01). Patients who received lidocaine infusion (LIDO+) had lower MME/day prescribed (32.24 ± 19.9, p = .03), were younger (61.2 vs. 65.6, p < .01), had more RFs (7.1 vs. 6.05, p = .03), and shorter LOS (7.71 vs 10.2, p = .01). Discussion Prescriber attention to MME/day and number of pills dispensed affects opioid dependency. We recommend 35–40 MME/day with 50 pill/month limit prescribed by a single provider monitoring patient and CSMD. Early LI offers post-discharge opioid cessation advantage.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is associated with job success in multiple fields, in part, because EI may mitigate stress and burnout. Research suggests these relationships may include teaching. Our purpose is to further explore the relationships between EI, burnout, and teaching for faculty surgeons.With IRB approval, surgical faculty were offered the opportunity to complete personal demographics, the Maslach Burnout Inventory, the SETQ-SMART assessment of teaching ability, and the SEF:MED self-assessment of emotional intelligence. Surgical residents rated faculty teaching ability using the SETQ-SMART SETTING: A medium-sized academic medical center in the Southeast approved to graduate 6 residents per year.ACGME surgical faculty and general surgical residents PGY1 to PGY5 including preliminary residents, were given the opportunity to participate.Faculty self-assessed teaching scores were significantly different from resident scores for nine (60%) faculty; three (33%) overrated their and 6 (67%) under rated their overall teaching ability, relative to resident ratings. The 3 SEF:MED scales correlated low-moderate to strongly with the SETQ-OTS: IS (r = 0.41, p = 0.13), EM (r = 0.67, p0.01), and EA (r = 0.43, p = 0.11). Overall, 8(53%) faculty scored moderate to high on at least 1 of the 3 MBI subscales. Overall self-rated faculty teaching scores correlated negatively with higher EE and DP and positively with PA (r = -0.08, -0.21, and 0.52, p = 0.047; respectively). EI negatively correlated with MBI-EE and DP and positively with PA (r = -0.31, -0.18, 0.45, respectively), though due to the small sample none reach statistical significance with alpha set to 0.05.In this pilot study, EI is positively correlated to surgical faculty members' teaching ability. Burnout was less strongly correlated with resident-assessed faculty teaching scores, but with similar trends. Finally, EI was correlated with MBI EE, DP, and PA as expected given the literature in other fields. Expanded study is warranted.

The authors sought to identify causal factors that explain the selective benefit of prehospital administration of thawed plasma (TP) in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients using mediation analysis of a multiomic database.The Prehospital Air Medical Plasma (PAMPer) Trial showed that patients with TBI and a pronounced systemic response to injury [defined as endotype 2 (E2)], have a survival benefit from prehospital administration of TP. An interrogation of high dimensional proteomics, lipidomics and metabolomics previously demonstrated unique patterns in circulating biomarkers in patients receiving prehospital TP, suggesting that a deeper analysis could reveal causal features specific to TBI patients.A novel proteomic database (SomaLogic Inc., aptamer-based assay, 7K platform) was generated using admission blood samples from a subset of patients (n=149) from the PAMPer Trial. This proteomic dataset was combined with previously reported metabolomic and lipidomic datasets from these same patients. A 2-step analysis was performed to identify factors that promote survival in E2-TBI patients who had received early TP. First, features were selected using both linear and multivariate-latent-factor regression analyses. Then, the selected features were entered into the causal mediation analysis.Causal mediation analysis of observable features identified 16 proteins and 41 lipids with a high proportion of mediated effect (50%) to explain the survival benefit of early TP in E2-TBI patients. The multivariate latent-factor regression analyses also uncovered 5 latent clusters of features with a proportion effect30%, many in common with the observable features. Among the observable and latent features were protease inhibitors known to inhibit activated protein C and block fibrinolysis (SERPINA5 and CPB2), a clotting factor (factor XI), as well as proteins involved in lipid transport and metabolism (APOE3 and sPLA(2)-XIIA).These findings suggest that severely injured patients with TBI process exogenous plasma differently than those without TBI. The beneficial effects of early TP in E2-TBI patients may be the result of improved blood clotting and the effect of brain protective factors independent of coagulation.

Background Prehospital plasma transfusion in trauma reduces mortality. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Reduction in shock severity may play a role. Lactate correlates with physiologic shock severity and mortality after injury. Our objective was to determine if prehospital plasma reduces lactate and if this contributes to the mortality benefit of plasma. Methods Patients in the Prehospital Air Medical Plasma trial in the upper quartile of injury severity (Injury Severity Score, >30) were included to capture severe shock. Trial patients were randomized to prehospital plasma or standard care resuscitation (crystalloid ± packed red blood cells). Regression determined the associations between admission lactate, 30-day mortality, and plasma while adjusting for demographics, prehospital crystalloid, time, mechanism, and injury characteristics. Causal mediation analysis determined what proportion of the effect of plasma on mortality is mediated by lactate reduction. Results A total of 125 patients were included. The plasma group had a lower adjusted admission lactate than standard of care group (coefficient, -1.64; 95% confidence interval [CI], -2.96 to -0.31; p = 0.02). Plasma was associated with lower odds of 30-day mortality (odds ratio [OR], 0.27; 95% CI, 0.08-0.90; p = 0.03). When adding lactate to this model, the effect of plasma on 30-day mortality was no longer significant (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.07-1.88; p = 0.23), while lactate was associated with mortality (OR, 1.74 per 1 mmol/L increase; 95% CI, 1.10-2.73; p = 0.01). Causal mediation demonstrated 35.1% of the total effect of plasma on 30-day mortality was mediated by the reduction in lactate among plasma patients. Conclusion Prehospital plasma is associated with reduced 30-day mortality and lactate in severely injured patients. More than one third of the effect of plasma on mortality is mediated by a reduction in lactate. Thus, reducing the severity of hemorrhagic shock appears to be one mechanism of prehospital plasma benefit. Further study should elucidate other mechanisms and if a dose response exists. Level of evidence Therapeutic, level II.

Background Delirium is common in patients admitted to the surgical trauma intensive care unit (ICU), and the risk factors for these patients differ from medical patients. Given the morbidity and mortality associated with delirium, efforts to prevent it may improve patient outcomes, but previous efforts pharmacologically have been limited by side effects and insignificant results. We hypothesized that scheduled quetiapine could reduce the incidence of delirium in this population. Methods The study included 71 adult patients who were at high-risk for the development of delirium (PRE-DELIRIC Score ≥50%, history of dementia, alcohol misuse, or drug abuse). Patients were randomized to receive quetiapine 12.5 mg every 12 h for delirium or no pharmacologic prophylaxis within 48 h of admission to the ICU. The primary end point was the incidence of delirium during admission to the ICU. Secondary end points included time to onset of delirium, ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS), ICU and hospital mortality, duration of mechanical ventilation, and adverse events. Results The incidence of delirium during admission to the ICU was 45.5% (10/22) in the quetiapine group and 77.6% (38/49) in the group that did not receive pharmacological prophylaxis. The mean time to onset of delirium was 1.4 days for those who did not receive prophylaxis versus 2.5 days for those who did (p = 0.06). The quetiapine group significantly reduced ventilator duration from 8.2 days to 1.5 days (p = 0.002). Conclusions The findings suggested that scheduled, low-dose quetiapine is effective in preventing delirium in high-risk, surgical trauma ICU patients.

Background Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are widely utilized for elective colorectal surgery to improve outcomes and decrease costs, but few studies have evaluated the impact of ERAS protocols on cost with respect to anatomic site of resection. This study evaluated the impact of ERAS protocol on elective colon resections by site and longitudinal impact over time. Methods A single-center retrospective cohort study of 598 consecutive patients undergoing elective colorectal resection before and after implementation of ERAS protocol from 2013 to 2017 was performed. The primary outcomes were length of stay (LOS) and cost. Comparative and multivariate inferential statistics were used to assess additional outcomes. Results A total of 598 patients (100 pre-ERAS vs 498 post-ERAS) were evaluated with an overall median LOS of 4 days for right and left colectomies and 3 days for transverse colectomies. When comparing type of resection before and after ERAS protocol introduction, an increased LOS for left hemicolectomies from 3.09 to 4.03 days ( P = .047) was noted, with all other comparisons failing to reach statistical significance. Over time, an initial decrease in LOS for MIS approach after protocol introduction was observed; however, this effect diminished in the ensuing years and had no significant effect overall. Total cost of care was significantly increased post-ERAS for all cohorts except transverse colectomies. No further statistically significant differences were found. Conclusion After an initial improvement in outcomes, continued utilization of ERAS protocols demonstrated no improvement in LOS compared to pre-ERAS data and increased cost overall for patients regardless of site of resection.

BACKGROUND Prehospital plasma improves survival for severely injured trauma patients transported by air ambulance. We sought to characterize the unexpected survivors, patients who survived despite having high predicted mortality after traumatic injury. METHODS The Prehospital Air Medical Plasma trial randomized severely injured patients (n = 501) to receive either standard care (crystalloid) or two units of prehospital plasma followed by standard care fluid resuscitation. We built a generalized linear model to estimate patient mortality. Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate model performance. We defined unexpected survivors as patients who had a predicted mortality greater than 50% and survived to 30 days. We characterized patient demographics, clinical features, and outcomes of the unexpected survivors. Observed to expected (O/E) ratios and Z-statistics were calculated using model-estimated mortality for each cohort. RESULTS Our model predicted mortality better than Injury Severity Score or Revised Trauma Score parameters and identified 36 unexpected survivors. Compared with expected survivors, unexpected survivors were younger (33 years [24, 52 years] vs. 47 years [32, 59 years], p = 0.013), were more severely injured (Injury Severity Score 34 [22, 50] vs. 18 [10, 27], p < 0.001), had worse organ dysfunction and hospital resource outcomes (multiple organ failure, intensive care unit, hospital length of stay, and ventilator days), and were more likely to receive prehospital plasma (67 vs. 46%, p = 0.031). Nonsurvivors with high predicted mortality were more likely to receive standard care resuscitation (p < 0.001). Unexpected survivors who received prehospital plasma had a lower observed to expected mortality than those that received standard care resuscitation (O/E 0.56 [0.33-0.84] vs. 1.0 [0.73-1.32]). The number of prehospital plasma survivors (24) exceeded the number of predicted survivors (n = 10) estimated by our model (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION Prehospital plasma is associated with an increase in the number of unexpected survivors following severe traumatic injury. Prehospital interventions may improve the probability of survival for injured patients with high predicted mortality based on early injury characteristics, vital signs, and resuscitation measures. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic Level III.

Background A recent analysis derived from the Prehospital Air Medical Plasma trial data set demonstrated no significant independent plasma survival benefit in those who required massive transfusion (≥10 units of red cells in 24 hours). The definition of massive transfusion has evolved over time to minimize bias and predict those at highest risk of death. We sought to characterize the definition of massive transfusion, their associated mortality risks and the survival benefit associated with prehospital plasma. Methods A secondary analysis was performed using data from a recent prehospital plasma trial. Patients transferred directly from the scene were characterized. We defined historic massive transfusion using ≥10 units red cells in 24 hours and critical administration threshold (CAT) as ≥3 units per hour in the first hour (CAT1hr) or in any of the first 4 hours (CAT4hr) from arrival. The primary outcome was 30-day mortality. Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox hazard regression were used to characterize the survival benefit of prehospital plasma. Results There were a total of 390 enrolled patients who were transferred from the scene and represent the study cohort. Overall, 126 patients were positive for the CAT1hr metric, 183 patients were positive for the CAT4hr metric and 84 patients were positive for historic massive transfusion metric. The overall study mortality rate for those patients who met each transfusion definition was 13.1%, 17.4% and 10.0%, respectively. The CAT4hr metric had the lowest potential for survival bias. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis demonstrated a prehospital plasma survival benefit in the patients who were CAT4hr positive. Conclusion The current analysis demonstrates the superior utility of the CAT4hr definition with optimization of survival bias while conserving mortality risk prediction. This transfusion definition was associated with a prehospital plasma survival benefit and may be the most appropriate definition of massive transfusion for pragmatic studies which focus on hemorrhagic shock. Level of evidence Epidemiologic, Level II.

Objectives Hypothermia occurs in 30-50% of severely injured trauma patients and is associated with multiple metabolic derangements and worsened outcomes. However, hypothermia continues to be under-diagnosed which leads to inadequate triage and treatment in trauma patients. Our study set out to determine if hypothermia is an independent predictor of mortality in trauma patients. Methods We retrospectively reviewed data of all trauma activation patients over a 5-year period. Data were collected on patient demographics, initial core temperature, Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) on presentation, and injury severity score (ISS). Patients were then stratified into groups based on presenting temperature, ISS, and GCS. Outcomes compared were mortality, blood products received, and intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay. Correlations and logistic regression were used to test the hypotheses. Results Survival and temperature data were reviewed on 15,567 patients. Initial temperature was not significantly associated with ICU length of stay or blood products transfused ( P = .21 and P = .08, respectively). However, odds ratio of mortality in hypothermic patients (Conclusions Hypothermia is an independent risk factor for mortality in trauma patients. It remains crucial to obtain accurate presenting temperatures in trauma patients in order to triage and treat hypothermia. Based on our data, obtaining core temperatures and rapidly treating hypothermia continues to be a vital part of the secondary survey of trauma patients.

Background Multimodal analgesia in rib fractures (RFs) is designed to maximize pain control while minimizing narcotics. Prior research with intravenous lidocaine (IVL) efficacy produced conflicting results. We hypothesized IVL infusion reduces opioid utilization and pain scores. Methods A retrospective review of RF patients at an ACS-verified Level I trauma center from April 2018 to 2/2020 was conducted. Patients (pts) stratified as receiving IVL vs no IVL. Initial lidocaine dose: 1 mg/kg/hr with a maximum of 3 mg/kg/hr. Duration of infusion: 48 h. Pain quantified by the Stanford Pain Score system (PS). Bivariate and multivariate analyses of variables were performed on SPSS, version 21 (IBM Corp). Results 414 pts met inclusion criteria: 254 males and 160 females. The average age for the non-IVL = 67.4 ± 15.2 years vs IVL = 58.3 ± 17.1 years ( P < .001). There were no statistically significant differences between groups for ISS, PS for initial 48 h, and ICU length of stay (LOS). There was a difference in morphine equivalents per hour: non-IVL = 1.25 vs IVL = 1.72 ( P = .004) and LOS non-IVL = 10.2+/−7.6 vs IVL = 7.82+/−4.94. By analyzing IVL pts in a crossover comparison before and after IVL, there was reduction in opiates: 3.01 vs 1.72 ( P < .001) and PS: 7.0 vs 4.9 ( P < .001). Stanford Pain Score system reduction in the IVL = 48.3 ± 23.9%, but less effective in narcotic dependency (27 ± 22.9%, P = .035); IVL pts had hospital cost reduction: $82,927 vs $118,202 ( P < .01). Discussion In a crossover analysis, IVL is effective for reduction of PS and opiate use and reduces hospital LOS and costs. Patient age may confound interpretation of results. Our data support IVL use in multimodal pain regimens. Future prospective study is warranted.

Importance Prehospital plasma transfusion is lifesaving for trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock but is not commonly used owing to cost and feasibility concerns. Objective To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of prehospital thawed plasma transfusion in trauma patients with hemorrhagic shock during air medical transport. Design, setting, and participants A decision tree and Markov model were created to compare standard care and prehospital thawed plasma transfusion using published and unpublished patient-level data from the Prehospital Plasma in Air Medical Transport in Trauma Patients at Risk for Hemorrhagic Shock (PAMPer) trial conducted from May 2014 to October 2017, health care and trauma-specific databases, and the published literature. Prehospital transfusion, short-term inpatient care, and lifetime health care costs and quality of life outcomes were included. One-way, 2-way, and Monte Carlo probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed across clinically plausible ranges. Data were analyzed in December 2019. Main outcomes and measures Relative costs and health-related quality of life were evaluated by an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio at a standard willingness-to-pay threshold of $100 000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY). Results The trial included 501 patients in the modified intention-to-treat cohort. Median (interquartile range) age for patients in the thawed plasma and standard care cohorts were 44 (31-59) and 46 (28-60) years, respectively. Overall, 364 patients (72.7%) were male. Thawed plasma transfusion was cost-effective with an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of $50 467.44 per QALY compared with standard care. The preference for thawed plasma was robust across all 1- and 2-way sensitivity analyses. When considering only patients injured by a blunt mechanism, the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio decreased to $37 735.19 per QALY. Thawed plasma was preferred in 8140 of 10 000 iterations (81.4%) on probabilistic sensitivity analysis. A detailed analysis of incremental costs between strategies revealed most were attributable to the in-hospital and postdischarge lifetime care of critically ill patients surviving severe trauma. Conclusions and relevance In this study, prehospital thawed plasma transfusion during air medical transport for trauma patients in hemorrhagic shock was lifesaving and cost-effective compared with standard care and should become commonplace.

Background Recent randomized clinical trial evidence demonstrated a survival benefit with the use of prehospital plasma in patients at risk of hemorrhagic shock. We sought to characterize the survival benefit associated with prehospital plasma relative to the blood transfusion volume over the initial 24 hours. We hypothesized that the beneficial effects of prehospital plasma would be most robust in those with higher severity of hemorrhage. Methods We performed a prespecified secondary analysis using data derived from a prospective randomized prehospital plasma trial. Blood component transfusion volumes were recorded over the initial 24 hours. Massive transfusion (MT) was defined a priori as receiving ≥10 units of red cells in 24 hours. We characterized the 30-day survival benefit of prehospital plasma and the need for MT and overall 24-hour red cell transfusion volume utilizing Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression. Results There were 501 patients included in this analysis with 230 randomized to prehospital plasma with 104 patients requiring MT. Mortality in patients who received MT were higher compared with those that did not (MT vs. NO-MT, 42% vs. 26%, p = 0.001). Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated early separation in the NO-MT subgroup (log rank p = 0.008) with no survival benefit found in the MT group (log rank p = 0.949). Cox regression analysis verified these findings. When 24-hour red cell transfusion was divided into quartiles, there was a significant independent association with 30-day survival in patients who received 4 to 7 units (hazard ratio, 0.33, 95% confidence interval, 0.14-0.80, p = 0.013). Conclusion The survival benefits of prehospital plasma was demonstrated only in patients with red cell requirements below the transfusion level of MT. Patients who received 4 to 7 units of red cells demonstrated the most robust independent survival benefit attributable to prehospital plasma transfusion. Prehospital plasma may be most beneficial in those patients with moderate transfusion requirements and mortality risk. Level of evidence Therapeutic, Level I.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to determine whether prehospital blood products reduce 30-day mortality in patients at risk for hemorrhagic shock compared with crystalloid only resuscitation. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Hemorrhage is the primary cause of preventable death after injury. Large volume crystalloid resuscitation can be deleterious. The benefits of prehospital packed red blood cells (PRBCs), plasma, or transfusion of both products among trauma patients is unknown compared with crystalloid. METHODS Secondary analysis of the multicenter PAMPer trial was performed on hypotensive injured patients from the scene. The trial randomized 27 helicopter bases to prehospital plasma or standard resuscitation. Standard resuscitation at the sites was equally divided between crystalloid and crystalloid + PRBC. This led to 4 prehospital resuscitation groups: crystalloid only; PRBC; plasma; and PRBC+plasma. Cox regression determined the association between resuscitation groups and risk-adjusted 30-day mortality. The dose effect of resuscitation fluids was also explored. RESULTS Four hundred seven patients were included. PRBC+plasma had the greatest benefit [hazard ratio (HR) 0.38; 95% confidence interval (95% CI) 0.26-0.55, P < 0.001], followed by plasma (HR 0.57; 95% CI 0.36-0.91, P = 0.017) and PRBC (HR 0.68; 95% CI 0.49-0.95, P = 0.025) versus crystalloid only. Mortality was lower per-unit of PRBC (HR 0.69; 95% CI 0.52-0.92, p = 0.009) and plasma (HR 0.68; 95% CI 0.54-0.88, P = 0.003). Crystalloid volume was associated with increased mortality among patients receiving blood products (HR 1.65; 95% CI 1.17-2.32, P = 0.004). CONCLUSION Patients receiving prehospital PRBC+plasma had the greatest mortality benefit. Crystalloid only had the worst survival. Patients with hemorrhagic shock should receive prehospital blood products when available, preferably PRBC+plasma. Prehospital whole blood may be ideal in this population.

There is debate within the emergency medical services (EMS) community over the value of calling a helicopter for trauma patients within a moderate distance/45 min, of a trauma center. Helicopter EMS (HEMS) generally have a wider scope and more advanced training than the ground EMS (GEMS). GEMS, on the other hand, have the benefit of being able to immediately initiate rapid transport to the trauma center without the delay involved with HEMS flying to the scene, landing, and assuming patient care.We retrospectively analyzed patients brought to a level I trauma center who were admitted with blunt traumatic injuries between 2010 and 2015 in the Trauma Quality Improvement Program database. Two analyses were performed, one in which the patient's reported initial scene vitals met criteria for step one of the Centers for Disease Control's 2011 National Field Triage Guidelines (NFTG) and the other in which the patient's initial scene vitals met those same guidelines and/or had a pulse greater than 110 beats per minute. Patients were categorized on scene to emergency department (ED) transport mode, either HEMS or GEMS. Inclusion criteria were a HEMS response time to the scene that was between 15 and 45 min with a transport time from the scene to the ED that was between 10 and 35 min or a GEMS transport time from the scene to the ED that was between 15 and 45 min. Statistical significance (P 0.05) was established through logit regression. Mortality rates were then calculated within each transport mode-based population.Four hundred subjects were included in the analysis of patients meeting the first step of the NFTG, with 212 HEMS patients and 188 in the GEMS group. HEMS had a higher mortality rate at 0.184 and GEMS at 0.101, which was statistically significant (P = 0.019). When 606 subjects meeting the first step of the NFTG or with a pulse greater than 110 beats per minute were analyzed, the results were statistically significant (P 0.001), with the HEMS category having a higher mortality rate at 0.154 and the GEMS category having a lower mortality at 0.056.Our data demonstrate that scene-to-ED time is paramount, and rapid ground transport should be used in blunt trauma patients when the scene is up to a moderate ground distance away from the trauma center and there would be a moderate-to-prolonged HEMS response time. In both analyses, hemodynamically unstable trauma patients had lower rates of mortality following ground transport. We recognize that there may be a subset of patients at these distances who could benefit from HEMS response, particularly if the flight crew can offer more advanced and specialized techniques; however, every effort should be made to minimize the scene-to-ED time, and HEMS response, scene, and transport time must be considered. This study only analyzed the patients within a moderate distance of the trauma center and at longer distances or in different environments; HEMS transport may indeed minimize the scene to ED time.

BackgroundPrehospital plasma administration during air medical transport reduces the endotheliopathy of trauma, circulating pro-inflammatory cytokines, and 30-day mortality among traumatically injured patients at risk of hemorrhagic shock. No clinical data currently exists evaluating the age of thawed plasma and its association with clinical outcomes and biomarker expression post-injury.MethodsWe performed a secondary analysis from the prehospital plasma administration randomized controlled trial, PAMPer. We dichotomized the age of thawed plasma creating three groups: standard-care, YOUNG (day 0–1) plasma, and OLD (day 2–5) plasma. We generated HRs and 95% CIs for mortality. Among all patients randomized to plasma, we compared predicted biomarker values at hospital admission (T0) and 24 hours later (T24) controlling for key difference between groups with a multivariable linear regression. Analyses were repeated in a severely injured subgroup.ResultsTwo hundred and seventy-one patients were randomized to standard-care and 230 to plasma (40% YOUNG, 60% OLD). There were no clinically or statistically significant differences in demographics, injury, admission vital signs, or laboratory values including thromboelastography between YOUNG and OLD. Compared with standard-care, YOUNG (HR 0.66 (95% CI 0.41 to 1.07), p=0.09) and OLD (HR 0.64 (95% CI 0.42 to 0.96), p=0.03) plasma demonstrated reduced 30-day mortality. Among those randomized to plasma, plasma age did not affect mortality (HR 1.04 (95% CI 0.60 to 1.82), p=0.90) and/or adjusted serum markers by plasma age at T0 or T24 (p>0.05). However, among the severely injured subgroup, OLD plasma was significantly associated with increased adjusted inflammatory and decreased adjusted endothelial biomarkers at T0.DiscussionAge of thawed plasma does not result in clinical outcome or biomarker expression differences in the overall PAMPer study cohort. There were biomarker expression differences in those patients with severe injury. Definitive investigation is needed to determine if the age of thawed plasma is associated with biomarker expression and outcome differences following traumatic injury.Level of evidenceII.

Incidental findings (IFs) are reported in 20% or more of trauma CT scans. In addition to the importance of patient disclosure, there is considerable legal pressure to avoid missed diagnoses. We reported previously that 63.5% of IFs were disclosed before discharge and with 20% were nondisclosed. We initiated a multidisciplinary systemic plan to effect predischarge disclosure by synoptic CT reports with American College of Radiology recommended follow-up, electronic medical records discharge prompts, and provider education.Prospective observational series patients from November 2019 to February 2020 were included. Statistical analysis was performed with SPSS, version 21 (IBM Corp).Eight hundred and seventy-seven patients underwent 1 or more CT scans for the evaluation of trauma (507 were male and 370 were female). Mean age of the patients was 57 years (range 14 to 99 years) and 96% had blunt injury. In 315 patients, there were 523 IFs (1.7 per patient); the most common were lung (17.5%), kidney (13%), and liver (11%). Radiology report compliance rate was 84% (210 of 249 patients). There were 66 studies from outside facilities. Sixteen IFs were suspicious for malignancy. A total of 151 patients needed no follow-up and 148 patients needed future follow-up evaluation. Predischarge IF disclosure compliance rate was 90.1% (286 patients); 25 were post discharge. Four patients remained undisclosed. Compared with our previous report, clearer reporting and electronic medical records prompts increased predischarge disclosure from 63.5% to 90.1% (p0.01, chi-square test) and decreased days to notification from 29.5 (range 0 to 277) to 5.2 (range 0 to 59) (p0.01, Mann-Whitney U test).Timely, complete disclosure of IFs improves patient outcomes and reduces medicolegal risk. Collaboration among trauma, radiology, and information technology promotes improved disclosure in trauma populations.

Background Use of low-titer group O whole blood for emergent transfusion of patients with unknown blood type became AABB approved in January 2018. Since that time, there is increasing use of whole blood in massive transfusion protocols. Whole blood stored at refrigerator temperature (2-4 °C) contains functional platelets that some research proposes may provide better clot dynamics than standard platelets, which are stored at room temperature (20-24 °C). Conventional teaching does not promote infusion of platelet products with pressure or warming, due to concerns of activation and subsequent inactivity of the infused platelets. Although a few reports found no significant changes in platelet function with warming or pressure during infusion of conventional room-temperature-stored platelets, there is limited data to support use of warming or pressure for infusion of whole blood products containing cold-stored platelets. Methods This study design is to evaluate and compare three commonly used methods of administering blood products in a massive transfusion setting for their potential effects on platelets contained within whole blood units (pressure bag alone, pressure bag with fluid warming line, and rapid infuser). Results Platelet function of 10 units tested pre- and post-infusion by thromboelastography (TEG) and platelet aggregation studies found no significant difference in platelet activity pre- and post-infusion with any of the three methods evaluated. Conclusions This study supports the use of rapid infuser or pressure bag devices (with or without warming) as acceptable for infusion of whole blood products. Infusion of whole blood with warming is preferable to prevent potential transfusion-associated hypothermia.

BackgroundRib fractures are associated with significant morbidity and mortality in polytraumatized patients. There is considerable variability in the management (operative vs. non-operative) and timing of operative intervention. Although Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma (EAST) guidelines recommend early operative intervention in patients with flail chest, there are no strong recommendations regarding operative fixation in patients with a non-flail chest rib fracture pattern.MethodsWe reviewed our Trauma Quality Improvement Program database for patients aged 18 to 99 who underwent operative intervention of ribs from January 2016 to July 2019. We examined hospital length of stay (LOS), intensive care unit (ICU) LOS, ventilator days, Injury Severity Score, age, discharge disposition and packed red blood cell transfusions. Similarly, we collected data from patients aged 18 to 99 who had one or more rib fractures in this time frame. We compared results in a 4:1 ratio of patients managed non-operatively to patients managed operatively. The patient groups were matched based on age, number of rib fractures and presence of bilateral rib fractures.ResultsBetween January 2016 and July 2019, 33 of 4189 total patients diagnosed with rib fractures underwent operative fixation; the matched non-operative group consisted of 132 patients. The statistically significant differences included presence of bilateral rib fractures, displaced rib fractures and flail chest segments. The median ICU days were longer in the operative group (6.0 vs. 3.5 days). A subgroup analysis of patients without flail segments demonstrated a significant presence of displaced rib fractures.Our single-institution matched comparison of outcomes in operative intervention versus Non-operative Management (NOM) of rib fractures found an increased median number of ICU days. Patients who underwent operative intervention often stayed in the ICU preoperatively and postoperatively for aggressive pulmonary hygiene and pain control, suggesting observer bias. The increased incidence of displaced rib fractures and the presence of a flail segment in the operative group demonstrate congruence with EAST guidelines. A subgroup analysis of patients without flail segment did not demonstrate differences in outcomes nor shoulder girdle injury characteristics.Level of evidenceThis article presents level III evidence that can be used by other clinicians to analyze eligibility for patients to undergo surgical stabilization of rib fracture (SSRF) and to provide counterarguments for performing SSRF in a heterogenous group of patients.

Splenic injuries are mostly treated with nonoperative management (NOM) with observation to monitor for continued hemorrhage and holding early chemical DVT prophylaxis to reduce the risk of NOM failure. Eberle et al demonstrated chemoprophylaxis prior to 72 hours didn’t increase failure rate of NOM. We chose to extrapolate this finding and compare outcomes in high-grade splenic injuries (HGSI) with chemoprophylaxis before and after 48 hours. From January 2013 to December 2017, 104 patients with HGSI received chemoprophylaxis with unfractionated heparin (UH) or low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) within 72 hours of diagnosis. Of these, 8 patients received chemoprophylaxis within 24 hours, 46 between 24 and 48 hours, and 50 patients between 48 and 72 hours. This population consisted of 70 males and 34 females, with an average age of 40.1 years. The average ISS was 23 and the majority (77%) were grade 3 injuries. We observed 6 failures of NOM: 1 in the 24 groups or between the

Background Rib fractures are common injuries among traumatically injured patients, and elderly patients with rib fractures are at increased risk for adverse events and death. The purpose of this study was to determine if oral Per os (PO) acetaminophen is as effective as intravenous (IV) acetaminophen in treating the pain associated with rib fractures. Methods We performed a single-center, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blinded study. Trauma patients who were ≥65 years old and had ≥1 rib fracture were included in this study. Patients were randomized into IV acetaminophen and oral placebo (n = 63) or IV placebo and oral solution acetaminophen (n = 75) groups. The primary outcome was a mean reduction in pain score at 24 hours, and secondary outcomes included opioid use, intensive care unit (ICU) length of stay (LOS), hospital LOS, hospital mortality, the difference in incentive spirometry, and development of pneumonia. Results Among the 138 patients included, there was no statistically significant difference between the 2 study groups in a mean reduction in pain score at 24 hours after injury (PO: 3.24, IV: 2.49; P = .230). Opioid pain medication use was equivalent between groups ( P = .212), and there was no significant difference in hospital mortality rate between groups ( P = .827). There was no statistically significant difference in ICU LOS, hospital LOS, or development of pneumonia. Discussion In elderly trauma patients (age ≥65 years) with 1 or more rib fractures, PO acetaminophen is equivalent to IV acetaminophen for pain control, with no difference in morbidity or mortality. Oral acetaminophen should be preferentially used over IV acetaminophen when treating the elderly trauma patient with rib fractures.

BACKGROUND: Prehospital plasma improves survival in severely injured patients transported by air ambulance. We hypothesized that prehospital plasma would be associated with a reduction in immune imbalance and endothelial damage. METHODS: We sampled blood from 405 trauma patients enrolled in the Prehospital Air Medical Plasma (PAMPer) trial upon hospital admission (0 hours) and 24 hours post admission across 6 U.S. sites. We assayed samples for 21 inflammatory mediators and 7 markers associated with endothelial function and damage. We performed hierarchical clustering analysis (HCA) of these biomarkers of the immune response and endothelial injury. Regression analysis was used to control for differences across study and to assess any association with prehospital plasma resuscitation. RESULTS: HCA distinguished two patient clusters with different injury patterns and outcomes. Patients in cluster A had greater injury severity and incidence of blunt trauma, traumatic brain injury, and mortality. Cluster A patients that received prehospital plasma showed improved 30-day survival. Prehospital plasma did not improve survival in cluster B patients. In an adjusted analysis of the most seriously injured patients, prehospital plasma was associated with an increase in adiponectin, IL-1β, IL-17A, IL-23, and IL-17E upon admission, and a reduction in syndecan-1, TM, VEGF, IL-6, IP-10, MCP-1, and TNF-α, and an increase in IL-33, IL-21, IL-23, and IL-17E 24 hours later. CONCLUSION: Prehospital plasma may ameliorate immune dysfunction and the endotheliopathy of trauma. These effects of plasma may contribute to improved survival in injured patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT01818427. FUNDING: Department of Defense; National Institutes of Health, U.S. Army.

Background Early ambulation after surgery is demonstrated to reduce complications and decreases patient length of stay (LOS) as part of an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) program. This study hypothesizes that missed and refused ambulation attempts prolong patient LOS. Methods From January 2014 to December 2016, all patients admitted to one ward who had undergone bowel resection surgery were assigned a dedicated ambulation team with the goal of ambulating 3 times per day. Clinical data was collected prospectively. Statistical analysis of ambulation frequency, percentage of ambulation sessions completed and overall LOS was performed to test the hypothesis. Results A total of 127 patients were analyzed for mean age, breakdown of laparoscopic/open procedures/pre-surgery ambulation status. The median LOS (mLOS) for all patients was 4.3 days. When ambulation was not offered for a 24-hour period, the mLOS increased from 3.6 to 6.6 days (P

Background After a person has been injured, prehospital administration of plasma in addition to the initiation of standard resuscitation procedures in the prehospital environment may reduc...

Summary Trauma is a leading cause of death and morbidity worldwide. Here, we present the analysis of a longitudinal multi-omic dataset comprising clinical, cytokine, endotheliopathy biomarker, lipidome, metabolome, and proteome data from severely injured humans. A “systemic storm” pattern with release of 1,061 markers, together with a pattern suggestive of the “massive consumption” of 892 constitutive circulating markers, is identified in the acute phase post-trauma. Data integration reveals two human injury response endotypes, which align with clinical trajectory. Prehospital thawed plasma rescues only endotype 2 patients with traumatic brain injury (30-day mortality: 30.3 versus 75.0%; p = 0.0015). Ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1 (UCHL1) was identified as the most predictive circulating biomarker to identify endotype 2-traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. These response patterns refine the paradigm for human injury, while the datasets provide a resource for the study of critical illness, trauma, and human stress responses., Graphical abstract, Highlights An integrated longitudinal multi-omic analysis of the human response to trauma Systemic storm and massive consumption patterns are related to early mortality Unique resolution and non-resolution signatures across multiple “omics” platforms Only endotype 2-TBI patients with high UCHL1 levels benefit from early plasma, Wu et al. report a longitudinal multi-omic analysis of the circulation in trauma patients. Cross-platform data integration reveals a massive systemic release of cellular contents (“systemic storm”) and simultaneous consumption of blood constituents. Also defined are patient endotypes that differ in outcomes and responses to early plasma administration.

To provide an overview of current methods of diagnosis and management of refeeding syndrome in the critically ill patient population. Despite recent publications indicating refeeding syndrome (RFS) is an ongoing problem in critically ill patients, there is no standard for the diagnosis and management of this life-threatening condition. There is not a “gold standard” nutrition assessment tool for the critically ill. Currently, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence criteria represent the best clinical assessment tool for RFS. Diagnosis and management with the help of a multidisciplinary metabolic team can decrease morbidity and mortality. Although a universal definition of RFS has yet to be defined, the diagnosis is made in patients with moderate to severe malnutrition who develop electrolyte imbalance after beginning nutritional support. The imbalances potentially can lead to cardiac, pulmonary, and gastrointestinal complications and failure. Standardizing a multidisciplinary nutrition care plan and formulating a protocol for critically ill patients who develop RFS can potentially decrease complication rates and overall mortality.

Background and Purpose: Currently, dexmedetomidine versus propofol has primarily been studied in medical and cardiac surgery patients with outcomes indicating safe and effective sedation. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of dexmedetomidine versus propofol for prolonged sedation in trauma and surgical patients. Methods This was a single-center prospective study conducted in the Trauma/Surgical Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at a Level I academic trauma center. It included patients 18 years of age or older requiring mechanical ventilation who were randomly assigned based on unit bed location to receive either dexmedetomidine or propofol. The primary outcome was duration of mechanical ventilation. Secondary outcomes included mortality; proportion of time in target sedation; incidence of delirium, hypotension, and bradycardia; and ICU and hospital length of stay (LOS). Results A total of 57 patients were included. Baseline characteristics were similar between groups. There was no significant difference in duration of mechanical ventilation (median [IQR]) between the dexmedetomidine (78.5[125] hours) and propofol (105[130] hours; p = 0.15) groups. There was no difference between groups in ICU mortality, ICU and hospital LOS, or incidence of delirium. Safety outcomes were also similar. Patients in the dexmedetomidine group spent a significantly greater percentage of time in target sedation (98[8] %) compared to propofol group (92[10] %; p = 0.02). Conclusions Our results suggest that, similar to medical and cardiac surgery patients, dexmedetomidine and propofol are safe and effective sedation agents in critically ill trauma and surgical patients; however, dexmedetomidine achieves target sedation better than propofol for this specific population.

INTRODUCTION Recent evidence demonstrated that prehospital plasma in patients at risk of hemorrhagic shock was safe for ground transport and resulted in a 28-day survival benefit for air medical transport patients. Whether any beneficial effect of prehospital plasma varies across injury mechanism remains unknown. METHODS We performed a secondary analysis using a harmonized data set derived from two recent prehospital plasma randomized trials. Identical inclusion/exclusion criteria and primary/secondary outcomes were used for the trials. Prehospital time, arrival shock parameters, and 24-hour transfusion requirements were compared across plasma and control groups stratified by mechanism of injury. Stratified survival analysis and Cox hazard regression were performed to determine the independent survival benefits of plasma across blunt and penetrating injury. RESULTS Blunt patients had higher injury severity, were older, and had a lower Glasgow Coma Scale. Arrival indices of shock and coagulation parameters were similar across blunt and penetrating injury. The percentage of patients with a prehospital time less than 20 minutes was significantly higher for penetrating patients relative to blunt injured patients (28.0% vs. 11.6%, p < 0.01). Stratified Kaplan-Meier curves demonstrated a significant separation for blunt injured patients (n = 465, p = 0.01) with no separation demonstrated for penetrating injured patients (n = 161, p = 0.60) Stratified Cox hazard regression verified, after controlling for all important confounders, that prehospital plasma was associated with a 32% lower independent hazard for 28-day mortality in blunt injured patients (hazard ratio, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.47-0.96; p = 0.03) with no independent survival benefit found in penetrating patients (hazard ratio, 1.16; 95% confidence interval, 0.4-3.1; p = 0.78). CONCLUSION A survival benefit associated with prehospital plasma at 24 hours and 28 days exists primarily in blunt injured patients with no benefit shown in penetrating trauma patients. No detrimental effects attributable to plasma are demonstrated in penetrating injury. These results have important relevance to military and civilian trauma systems. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Therapeutic, I.

Background Resuscitative thoracotomy (RT) is life-saving in select patients and can be accomplished through a left anterolateral (AT) or clamshell thoracotomy (CT). CT may provide additional exposure, facilitating certain operative procedures, but the added blood and heat loss and time to perform it may increase complications. No prospective multicenter comparison of techniques has yet been reported. Study Design The observational AAST Aortic Occlusion for Resuscitation in Trauma and Acute care surgery (AORTA) registry was used to compare AT and CT in RT. Results AORTA recorded 1,218 RTs at 46 trauma centers from June 2014 to January 2020. Overall survival after RT was 6.0% (AT 6.6%; [59 of 900]; CT 4.2% [13 of 296], p = 0.132). Among all RTs, 11.1% (142 of 1,278) surviving at least 24 hours were used tocompare AT (112) and CT (30). There was no difference between the 2 groups withregard to age, sex, Injury Severity Score, or mechanism of injury (Table 1). CT was significantly more likely to be used in patients needing resection of the lung or cardiac repair. CT was not associated with increased local thoracic/systemic complications, higher transfusion requirement, or greater ventilator, ICU, or hospital days compared with AT. Conclusions Clamshell thoracotomy facilitates thoracic life-saving procedures withoutincreased systemic or thoracic complications compared with AT in patients undergoing RT.

Our hospital, a Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative (TSQC) member, adopted a statewide colorectal care bundle intended to reduce surgical site infections (SSI) in elective colorectal cases. The bundle includes proper antibiotics/dosing, normoglycemia, normothermia, supplemental oxygen six hours postoperatively, and early enteral nutrition. A single-institution retrospective study of our National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database for the rates of SSI before and after the colorectal bundle. We compared our SSI rates to TSQC hospitals as well as NSQIP datasets. Because of low case numbers in the NSQIP data, National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) data collected at our institution was used to compare our colorectal SSI before and after our colorectal bundle. From January 2010 to December 2011, 188 patients underwent nonemergent colorectal surgery in the NSQIP data. Of these, 5.4 per cent (10/188) developed superficial SSIs. During this same time, the rate of the TSQC superficial SSI was 7.1 per cent and NSQIP was 7.8 per cent. From January 2013 to October 2014, after the colorectal bundle started, 76 patients in NSQIP underwent nonemergent colorectal surgery. Of these, 6.5 per cent (5/76) developed superficial SSI, compared with 5.5 per cent in TSQC and 5.5 per cent in NSQIP. NHSN data showed a prebundle rate of 11 per cent and a postbundle rate of 3.5 per cent ( P < 00.1, χ2). After adopting a colorectal bundle aimed at reducing SSIs, we did not improve our SSI rates in NSQIP; however, our NHSN data demonstrated considerable improvement. Differences in data collection may affect SSI rates, and ultimately “quality” based reimbursement. Implementation of the bundle did improve outcomes in colorectal surgery.

Key Points Question Is prehospital plasma administration associated with improved survival among severely injured patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI)? Findings In this secondary analysis of a predefined subgroup of 166 severely injured patients with trauma from a cluster randomized clinical trial, prehospital plasma administration was associated with lower mortality in patients with TBI. Meaning Future studies are needed to confirm these clinical benefits, but prehospital plasma administered soon after injury may improve survival for patients with TBI., This secondary analysis of a cluster randomized clinical trial assesses the association between prehospital plasma administration and survival in patients with traumatic brain injury., Importance Prehospital plasma administration improves survival in injured patients at risk for hemorrhagic shock and transported by air ambulance. Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a leading cause of death following trauma, but few early interventions improve outcomes. Objective To assess the association between prehospital plasma and survival in patients with TBI. Design, Setting, and Participants The Prehospital Air Medical Plasma (PAMPer) trial was a pragmatic, multicenter, phase 3, cluster randomized clinical trial involving injured patients who were at risk for hemorrhagic shock during air medical transport to a trauma center. The trial was conducted at 6 US sites with 9 level-I trauma centers (comprising 27 helicopter emergency services bases). The original trial analyzed 501 patients, including 230 patients who were randomized to receive plasma and 271 randomized to standard care resuscitation. This secondary analysis of a predefined subgroup included patients with TBI. Data analysis was performed from October 2019 to February 2020. Interventions Patients were randomized to receive standard care fluid resuscitation or 2 units of thawed plasma. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was mortality at 30 days. Patients with TBI were prespecified as a subgroup for secondary analysis and for measurement of markers of brain injury. The 30-day survival benefit of prehospital plasma in subgroups with and without TBI as diagnosed by computed tomography was characterized using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and Cox proportional hazard regression. Results In total, 166 patients had TBI (median [interquartile range] age, 43.00 [25.00-59.75] years; 125 men [75.3%]). When compared with the 92 patients who received standard care, the 74 patients with TBI who received prehospital plasma had improved 30-day survival even after adjustment for multiple confounders and assessment of the degree of brain injury with clinical variables and biomarkers (hazard ratio [HR], 0.55; 95% CI, 0.33-0.94; P = .03). Receipt of prehospital plasma was associated with improved survival among patients with TBI with a prehospital Glasgow Coma Scale score of less than 8 (HR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.35-0.91) and those with polytrauma (HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.28-0.89). Patients with TBI transported from the scene of injury had improved survival following prehospital plasma administration (HR, 0.45; 95% CI, 0.26-0.80; P = .005), whereas patients who were transferred from an outside hospital showed no difference in survival for the plasma intervention (HR, 1.00; 95% CI, 0.33-3.00; P = .99). Conclusions and Relevance These findings are exploratory, but they suggest that receipt of prehospital plasma is associated with improved survival in patients with computed tomography–positive TBI. The prehospital setting may be a critical period to intervene in the care of patients with TBI. Future studies are needed to confirm the clinical benefits of early plasma resuscitation following TBI and concomitant polytrauma. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01818427

Importance Both military and civilian clinical practice guidelines include early plasma transfusion to achieve a plasma to red cell ratio approaching 1:1 to 1:2. However, it was not known how early plasma should be given for optimal benefit. Two recent randomized clinical trials were published, with apparently contradictory results. The Prehospital Air Medical Plasma (PAMPer) clinical trial showed a nearly 30% reduction in mortality with plasma transfusion in the prehospital environment, while the Control of Major Bleeding After Trauma (COMBAT) clinical trial showed no survival improvement. Objective To facilitate a post hoc combined analysis of the COMBAT and PAMPer trials to examine questions that could not be answered by either clinical trial alone. We hypothesized that prehospital transport time influenced the effects of prehospital plasma on 28-day mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants A total of 626 patients in the 2 clinical trials were included. Patients with trauma and hemorrhagic shock were randomly assigned to receive either standard care or 2 U of thawed plasma followed by standard care in the prehospital environment. Data analysis was performed between September 2018 and January 2019. Interventions Prehospital transfusion of 2 U of plasma compared with crystalloid-based resuscitation. Main Outcomes and Measures The main outcome was 28-day mortality. Results In this post hoc analysis of 626 patients (467 men [74.6%] and 159 women [25.4%]; median [interquartile range] age, 42 [27-57] years) who had trauma with hemorrhagic shock, a Cox regression analysis showed a significant overall survival benefit for plasma (hazard ratio [HR], 0.65; 95% CI, 0.47-0.90;P = .01) after adjustment for injury severity, age, and clinical trial cohort (COMBAT or PAMPer). A significant association with prehospital transport time was detected (from arrival on scene to arrival at the trauma center). Increased mortality was observed in patients in the standard care group when prehospital transport was longer than 20 minutes (HR, 2.12; 95% CI, 1.05-4.30;P = .04), while increased mortality was not observed in patients in the prehospital plasma group (HR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.40-1.51;P = .46). No serious adverse events were associated with prehospital plasma transfusion. Conclusions and Relevance These data suggest that prehospital plasma is associated with a survival benefit when transport times are longer than 20 minutes and that the benefit-risk ratio is favorable for use of prehospital plasma. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifiers:NCT01838863(COMBAT) andNCT01818427(PAMPer)

A multimodality approach to enhance recovery after bowel surgery is demonstrated to reduce complications and decrease patient length of stay (LOS). This study evaluates the factors that influence patient LOS within a formal enhanced recovery protocol. From January 2014 to December 2016, all consecutive patients admitted to one ward, who had undergone bowel resection and were enrolled in an enhanced recovery protocol, were evaluated prospectively. We entered every patient's data into the American College of Surgeons Risk Calculator (ACSRC) to compare predicted versus actual outcomes. Statistical analysis of clinical factors, patient participation, and outcomes compared with the overall LOS was performed. Of 670 bowel resections performed during the study period, a total of 127 (19%) patients met the criteria and were analyzed for comorbidities, type of surgery, complications, and participation in recovery protocols. The median length of stay (mLOS) for all patients was 4.0 days (1.8-24.6 days). Factors influencing mLOS included laparoscopic versus open surgery (P = 0.006), COPD (P = 0.003), missing 24 hours of ambulation (P0.001), use of patient-controlled analgesia (P = 0.011), and diagnosis of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (P = 0.041). Increasing the use of morphine equivalents (MEs) increased mLOS beyond the ACSRC estimate (P = 0.003). Developing a major complication increased mLOS by 8.5 times the ACSRC estimate.A multimodality approach to enhance surgical recovery after bowel surgery decreases the LOS. The surgical approach, participation in ambulation, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, and COPD influenced the overall LOS. Increasing use of morphine equivalents and developing a complication increased mLOS beyond the ACSRC preoperative risk estimates.

The Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative analyzes NSQIP data from 21 participating hospitals. The Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative has reduced surgical complications, but causative factors are unclear. We sought to correlate surgical duration with complications to reveal mitigating strategies.Risk-adjusted Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative data on 104,632 general and vascular cases had a standard duration for 35 procedures (eg, breast, colectomy) calculated and NSQIP outcomes complication rates recorded. We derived a marginal time risk for each extra hour of operative time and reported per 1,000 cases.Procedures taking95% upper confidence standard time limit (n = 99,741) were deemed "not long" and had significantly fewer urinary tract infections, organ-space surgical site infection, sepsis/septic shock, prolonged intubation, and pneumonia. "Long" cases had increased rates of these complications and also deep venous thrombosis, deep incisional infection, and wound disruption. Per 1,000 cases, there were 116 occurrences per operating room hour. Surgical site infections occurred in 14.4/1,000 cases per hour; risk started at 42 minutes of operative time. Death, pneumonia, and prolonged intubation saw their risks begin before the operation. The highest marginal time risk was for sepsis, occurring 16.6 times per additional hour of operative time over standard. Studying only the 25,146 clean procedures, a significant correlation (p0.001) to operation duration persisted, despite an occurrence incidence of 4.5%.Duration of operation correlates with complications and time longer than a statewide established standard carries higher risk. To reduce risk of complications, these data support expeditious surgical technique and preoperative pulmonary training, and offer accurate outcomes assessment for patient counseling based on case duration. These data can be used directly to counsel individual surgeons to improve outcomes.

Pneumatosis intestinalis (PI) identified on computed tomography (CT) suggests an underlying pathology including bowel ischemia. Patients receiving tube feeds can develop PI, potentially requiring surgical intervention. We identify clinical factors in PI to predict those that may be safe to observe versus those that need immediate intervention. We retrospectively reviewed patients from a single institution from 2008 to 2016 with CT findings of PI and an enteric feeding tube. Patients who had not received tube feeds within one week of the CT were excluded. We analyzed clinical, operative, and outcome data to differentiate benign from pathologic outcomes. P values0.05 were set as significant. Forty patients were identified. We classified 24 as benign (no intervention) and 16 as pathologic (requiring intervention). A pathologic outcome was demonstrated for free fluid on CT [odds ratio (OR) = 5.00, confidence interval (CI) 1.23-20.30, P = 0.03)], blood urea nitrogen (BUN) elevation (OR = 8.27, CI 1.53-44.62, P = 0.01), creatinine (Cr) elevation (OR = 5.00, CI 1.27-19.62, P = 0.02), BUN/Cr ratio30 (OR = 8.57, CI 1.79-40.98, P = 0.006), and vomiting/feeding intolerance (OR = 9.38, CI 1.64-53.62, P = 0.01). Bowel function within 24 hours of the CT, bowel dilatation (small ≥ 3 cm; large ≥6 cm), and lactic acidemia were not significant. Peritonitis was only seen in pathologic states, but this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.06). This represents the largest single-center retrospective analysis of tube feeding-induced PI to date. The presence of free fluid on CT, BUN and Cr elevation, BUN/Cr30, vomiting/feeding intolerance and peritonitis were predictive of a pathologic etiology of PI.

Purpose Approximately 35% to 60% of all patients with head and neck cancer are malnourished at the time of their diagnosis because of tumor burden and obstruction of intake or the anorexia and cachexia associated with their cancer. The purpose of this article is to provide a contemporary review of the nutritional aspects of care for patients with head and neck cancer. Materials and Methods A literature search was performed in Medline, Cochrane, and other available databases from 1990 through 2012 for the clinical effectiveness of nutritional support, treatment modalities, and methods of delivery in relation to patients with head and neck malignancies. Human studies published in English and having nutritional status and head and neck cancer as a predictor variable were included. Randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses, prospective clinical studies, and systemic reviews were selected based on their relevance to the abovementioned subtitles. The resultant articles were analyzed and summarized into the definition, impact, assessment, treatment, and modes of administration of nutrition on the outcome of patients with head and neck cancer. Results Articles were reviewed that focused on the etiology and assessment of malnutrition and current nutritional treatments for cancer-induced anorexia and cachexia. Two hundred forty-eight articles were found: 2 clinical trials, 10 meta-analyses, 210 review studies, and 26 systematic reviews. Because of the lack of prospective data, a summative review of the conclusions of the studies is presented. Conclusion Nutritional interventions should be initiated before cancer treatment begins and these interventions need to be ongoing after completion of treatment to ensure optimal outcomes for patients. A nutritional assessment must be part of all comprehensive treatment plans for patients with head and neck cancer. Alternative medical interventions, such as immune-enhancing nutrients or anticytokine pharmaceutical agents, also may be effective as adjuvant therapies, but more research is needed to quantify their clinical effect.

Defining malnutrition and nutrition risk has been a topic of many papers and discussions throughout the modern literature. Multiple definitions have been proposed, ranging from simple body weight measurements to a more all-encompassing concept looking at disease-specific inflammatory states. Biochemical markers, elements of a history examination, physical examination findings, calculations, and technical tests have all been proposed to help further characterize and delineate those who might be at risk for malnutrition, translating to an increased risk of adverse outcomes after major surgery. The purpose of this paper is to summarize some of the most utilized and most reliable ways to determine nutrition status within the scope of the North American Surgical Nutrition Summit (2012) and discuss how to incorporate these methods into the way that patients are screened preoperatively for elective surgery.

Our hospital, a Tennessee Surgical Quality Collaborative (TSQC) member, adopted a statewide colorectal care bundle intended to reduce surgical site infections (SSI) in elective colorectal cases. The bundle includes proper antibiotics/dosing, normoglycemia, normothermia, supplemental oxygen six hours postoperatively, and early enteral nutrition. A single-institution retrospective study of our National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) database for the rates of SSI before and after the colorectal bundle. We compared our SSI rates to TSQC hospitals as well as NSQIP datasets. Because of low case numbers in the NSQIP data, National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) data collected at our institution was used to compare our colorectal SSI before and after our colorectal bundle. From January 2010 to December 2011, 188 patients underwent nonemergent colorectal surgery in the NSQIP data. Of these, 5.4 per cent (10/188) developed superficial SSIs. During this same time, the rate of the TSQC superficial SSI was 7.1 per cent and NSQIP was 7.8 per cent. From January 2013 to October 2014, after the colorectal bundle started, 76 patients in NSQIP underwent nonemergent colorectal surgery. Of these, 6.5 per cent (5/76) developed superficial SSI, compared with 5.5 per cent in TSQC and 5.5 per cent in NSQIP. NHSN data showed a prebundle rate of 11 per cent and a postbundle rate of 3.5 per cent (P00.1, χ(2)). After adopting a colorectal bundle aimed at reducing SSIs, we did not improve our SSI rates in NSQIP; however, our NHSN data demonstrated considerable improvement. Differences in data collection may affect SSI rates, and ultimately "quality" based reimbursement. Implementation of the bundle did improve outcomes in colorectal surgery.

Introduction: Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was designed for sudden cardiac events usually triggered by thrombotic phenomena. Despite this, it is routinely used in trauma resuscitations as per the American Heart guidelines. There is no data supporting the use of chest compressions in hemorrhagic shock. An evidence-based cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) protocol has been developed for dogs. We sought to determine the effects and outcomes of chest compressions in hemorrhagic shock in a canine model. Methods: Eighteen dogs were randomized to three treatment groups-chest compressions only after hemorrhagic shock (CPR), CPR with fluid resuscitation after hemorrhagic shock (CPR + FLU), and fluid resuscitation alone after hemorrhagic shock (FLU). Under anesthesia, dogs were hemorrhaged until pulse was lost; they were maintained pulseless for 30 minutes and then resuscitated over 20 minutes. Vital signs and laboratory values were recorded at determined intervals. Echocardiography was performed throughout the study. Upon termination of the study, kidney, liver, heart, and brain tissue histology was evaluated for end organ damage. Statistical significance was p < 0.05 with a Bonferroni correction for multiple comparisons. Results: Blood loss and mean time to loss of pulse were similar between the groups. Dogs in the CPR group had significantly lower mean arterial pressure and higher pulse at all points compared to CPR + FLU and FLU (p < 0.05). Ejection fraction was lower in the CPR group at 5 and 10 minutes compared to the other groups (p < 0.05). Vital signs and laboratory results between CPR + FLU and FLU were equivalent. Two of six dogs in the CPR group died, while no dogs died in the CPR + FLU or FLU groups. Dogs in the CPR group were found to have more episodes of end organ damage. Conclusion: There was no benefit to chest compressions in the hypovolemic animals. Chest compressions in addition to fluid did not reverse signs of shock better than fluid alone. Further research is needed to define if there is a role of CPR in the trauma patient with hemorrhagic shock.